Things That Go 'Thump' In The Night
by Reflection of a Broken Dream
Summary: Kagome x Sesshoumaru, Inuyasha AU. Happy Belated Halloween! It's Halloween night and Rin wants to be tucked in by her father and told a scary story without her mom's knowing. She begins to regret it when she hears a 'thump'ing in the night...


**Things That Go 'Thump' In The Night**

**Author: Reflection of a Broken Dream**

**Pairing: Kagome x Sesshoumaru (from Inuyasha)**

**A Quick Note**:

- This is a fanfiction made for Halloween that is completely AU with a _completely _different storyline. (Though they _should _stay IC for the most part...except Sesshoumaru, but you'll see _why _he's OOC.)

- This is a drabble for Halloween, made more for the story and less for the pairing.

- **Basic Background: **

(Need-to-know stuff.)

Kagome never fell into the past. Demons are in-hiding in society and she just happened to befriend Inuyasha, the Inu hanyou, in high school and became aware of demons and the like through him. They've been good friends since. (Though they _had _attempted a romantic relationship and it just didn't work out.) She met Sesshoumaru at the end of her school year, never having met him before because he was always at work at Taisho Inc. They had a mutual respect for one another and gradually fell in love when she went to work for him as his assistant. (During and after this is when Kagome was attacked, the Shikon uncovered from within her. Naraku popped up soon after, leading to Kagome's friendships with Miroku, Sango, Kilala, and Shippou. They banded together with Kagome, Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha, beat Naraku, and found a pure wish to wish the jewel away- wishing for it to forever be gone. Sango and Miroku later married, Shippou (a teen) got back to work and life, as well as Kilala, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Kagome, and things went back to normal.) Kagome and Sesshoumaru later got married, Sesshoumaru bound Kagome to his lifespan, they mated, and then they had Rin soon after. This is several years after that, and Rin is about 9 in appearances, Sesshoumaru and Kagome looking to be in their early/mid-twenties.

- Happy Belated Halloween guys! Hope you like my story!

- Please review!

**Disclaimer**:

I DON'T own Inuyasha or any of the awesome characters.

**Things That Go 'Thump' In The Night**

**-One Shot-**

A contented sigh escaped the lips of a rather tall man as he watched a horror movie on his large, one hundred inch, flat screen T.V. mounted on a large entertainment center against the mid-point of a wall in his living room. This stuff was incredibly boring compared to what _he _had lived (he was a demon and had lived through the horrors of many eras, after all), but it was amusing to see the newest ideas of humans trying to scare other humans. Why they got such excitement from it was beyond him. He tossed a strand of stray silvery hair over his shoulder as he sank farther into his black leather couch, his usually pristine and straight white button-up shirt unbuttoned a few buttons and rumpled from playing with his daughter and mate around the house and at their relative's houses. It was Halloween, after all, and Trick-or-Treating was a favorite activity of his daughter's. He could deny her nothing that she loved, and both she and his mate knew that.

Molten golden eyes flickered back to the screen, the man coming out of his reveries of the day as a scream pierced the air. It came from the T.V., of course. _'Stupid woman. She tripped over a fallen branch...and now the killer will get her_,' he mused, watching it all play out. _'I __**knew **__it.'_ A smug smirk graced his lips, his enlarged and razor sharp canines slightly revealed in the only light of the room- the T.V. His fair skin glowed in the darkness of the room as a commercial cut in, temporarily darkening the room. His two magenta stripes across each cheek seemed stark in comparison to his skin, as well as his dark blue crescent moon in the middle of his forehead. Of course, he had matching sets of magenta streaks on his wrists and clawed hands, ankles and feet, and one on each hip bone...though most were obscured from view by his clothing. Black slacks rustled as he slung his legs up onto the large couch, taking up all of the spare space. He stretched out, his white socks gleaming in the darkness as he yawned, his furry white tail emerging from behind him and stretching to his toes. He looked towards the entrance of the living room, seeing only darkness from the room and light in the hallway beyond it.

"My little pup is taking her sweet time getting dressed and ready for bed," He mused aloud thoughtfully. "Though I suppose it can be excused _this _time..." His thoughts went back to her costume, amusement dancing in his eyes. She had dressed as an undead princess, her usually wild, thick black hair tamed into an elaborate updo, courtesy of his mate. They had worked with her for a month, getting the costume just right. She had worn an elaborate white western gown that was ripped and torn strategically and dyed, in places, to look soiled, as though it had just come up with her from the grave. He had some experience in make-up artistry, having dabbled in it a little, and he had pulled some strings to work in a professional workshop to create prosthetics for her. He had made a piece at her left breast and collar bone to make the bones look like they had been ripped out and snapped. He'd also made a piece for her right leg to look like the bone had broken and was protruding slightly, and he made a piece for her left hand, right arm, and one for her right cheek bone that were similar, bones slightly protruding. (He had seen a good few bone breaks in his day and did them quite accurately, if he did say so, himself.) That day, he had applied them and done the make-up himself, giving her lots of blue, purple, black, and mixed undertones to make her _really _look dead. (Dead bodies were _another _thing he had seen a lot of in his life...) Then came the fake blood. He mixed it to perfection, the coloration and consistency of the stuff so close it would have taken F.B.I. technology to analyze it to determine that it was fake. He decorated his daughter with it, making her false wounds look realistic, as well as splattering it here and there on her and her costume, to stay true to the zombie-eating-humans theme that the humans feared so much.

Needless to say...she was a frightening sight for the young Trick-or-Treaters...and a few had wet themselves with fear. More avoided her and a few had run away from her. He was proud. It had been a very...gratifying night for him. (He used to be a lord- scaring people so used to be second nature to him. Not to mention amusing, their reactions morbidly satisfying.) It was for his daughter, too. Of course...his mate wasn't as happy...but he had managed to sway her mood a bit by cooking and preparing dinner for them.

But, of course, with as much make-up and fake blood as he had applied to his little princess, it would take a while to wash off. Normally he would have waited for her for only an hour so she could bathe, brush her teeth, pull her hair down from her usual style and brush it, and don her pajamas before he came after her, scolding for drawing out her time to get to sleep after her curfew. (Ten on weekdays, like it was tonight.) He glanced up at the clock on the other side of the room, not needing the T.V. to light the item for him to see it. Because he was a dog demon, he could see it just fine in the dark. It was ten twenty. They had been gone for nearly two hours now... '_Perhaps I should check on their progress,' _he thought a bit worriedly to himself. _'I may have applied the prosthetics too well...or the make-up. I think have a solution that could remove it_...' He was about to stand up when the light patter of footsteps were heard coming down the hallway, followed by a slightly heavier set. '_Perhaps not_...' As he had expected, his mate and daughter arrived at the entrance to the living room from the house, his mate looking a bit disheveled and his daughter cheerful.

"That was some _really _good make-up, daddy," his daughter giggled, a small clawed hand at her lips. Her raven black mane had been washed and blow-dried, the thick locks smelling sweetly of her peach-scented shampoo. Azure eyes gleamed with mirth as she caught his amused golden gaze. Her skin glowed in the darkness of the room as another commercial came on, her blue streaks on her cheeks almost making part of her cheeks blend in with the darkness. (There was one wavy streak on each cheek.) Her blue crescent moon on her forehead was hidden by her hair, the matching streak-like markings on her hands showing, as well as the ones on her bare feet. Her black furry tail, like his, was trailing behind her and wagging back and forth in her glee of being fully clean and her amusement at her mother's obvious efforts to get her clean. The girl was dressed in her favorite white and orange checked night set- a button-up shirt and sleep pants.

"No kidding," his mate sighed. "Let's not do this again unless you have something to get it off with, alright, Sesshoumaru?" Weary azure eyes of his mate gazed at him and he felt a little guilty for his overly great application of the stuff on their pup. Her own wild raven black locks were a mess, tied back in a hair tie to keep them from her face. Her fair skin glowed in the occasional darkness of the room, her own skin flawless and free of any markings...well...besides the one at the junction between her neck and shoulder, on the left side. There was a never-healing scar in the shape of a crescent moon- her mating mark he gave her. It's also the spot he'd had to go through to bind her human lifespan to his own immortal demonic lifespan. (Oddly enough, because of that, their daughter turned out to be a full demoness.) Her petite but long and slightly curvy frame was covered by her favorite nighties- a white and dark blue plaid pair of plush sleep pants and a large plain white tanktop. Little white socks peeked out from beneath her sleep pants, showing her small covered feet.

"Hn," Sesshoumaru agreed with a hum and an incline of his head as he sat up again. "Of course. I will refrain from doing so in the future without the proper make-up removal solution." She bobbed her head once in acknowledgement as he rose and strode over to them. "I apologize, Kagome." He leaned down (she was about a head and a half shorter than him) and gently brushed his lips against hers before standing straight again.

"That's alright," Kagome sighed softly, catching his gaze again. "You can make up for it later." A grin played at her lips and a mischievous light in her eyes. His brow quirked at all of the possibilities that opened up, knowing his mate could be quite...sly...when she wanted to be. He wouldn't know his punishment until it came. For that reason, it always excited him somewhat. She was unpredictable. For someone who could read an opponent's every move, it was refreshing and it kept him on his toes.

"I know it's late...but...," his pup started sheepishly. "Can you still tuck me in, daddy?" He chuckled so softly it almost went unheard as he looked down at his darling daughter, the girl barely coming to his waist. She was, by human standards, roughly the height of a nine-year-old. (Though she was _much _older...)

"Yes...of course I can, Rin," he nodded once, the girl's eyes and face lighting up. "It was _my _fault for the delay this time, after all."

"Yay!," Rin beamed and giggled, jumping and dancing in a loose circle a moment before attaching herself to his leg. Kagome laughed softly at that, and he couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, daddy!"

"You're welcome," he replied softly, gently putting his hand on her head as she looked up at him adoringly. "Shall we go?"

"Yes! Yes!," She cheered, taking hold of his large hand in her tiny one and backing away a little.

"I will return soon, Kagome," Sesshoumaru promised as he looked over at her.

"Alright," She nodded to him with a smile on her lips. "I'll be waiting." A hint of her promise of revenge was in the undertones of her words and he couldn't help a small hint of a grin at the challenge as he pecked her cheek on the way to the hallway.

"This way, daddy," Rin beamed as she led him excitedly down the hallway to the western side, through a couple of corridors and to the very end of the hallway. She stopped at a door on the right side of the hallway before the very end, a large door at the end. (His and Kagome's bedroom, of course.) She opened the door to her bedroom, hers right beside theirs, before leading him into the girlishly decorated large room; oranges, whites, and yellows the main colors. Her large four poster bed was placed so that her headboard was in the center of the far wall from the door, the bed expanded out into the room, but not disturbing the flow. Rin lead him over to her large bed and he tied the thin white material (it reminded him of curtains) from the top back to the posts with orange ties. She liked them to be tied back at night. "Oof!" Rin flopped back on her bed with a contented sigh, laying on her orange silky bed spread.

"Are you going to sleep there like that?," Sesshoumaru teased his daughter with a raised brow, the girl grinning up at him, her legs dangling off the side of her western-style bed.

"Yep," she nodded, laying her head to the side and closing her eyes, as though she were asleep.

"Hmmm...too bad," he stated aloud for her to hear as he knelt down beside her. "I guess that monster that hides beneath the bed on Halloween nights will get you." She didn't flinch or open her eyes. He smirked. She _asked _for it... "Oh...and there he is..." Her eyes snapped open as he grabbed her by her legs and started to pull her off of her bed, the girl squealing as he pulled her right into his lap. She giggled uncontrollably as his fingers nimbly set to her most ticklish spots, tickling her for all she was worth.

"D-D-Daddy! S-Stop!," She managed to get out between giggles, struggling against him as he easily kept hold of her. "A-Ahh! Ahahahahaha! S-S-St-ahhahaha-op!" She wriggled and giggled until she was crying and bowed forwards a little, her head pressed against his chest. "I-I'll g-go to-aheeehehehahaha! Bed r-right!"

"_That's _what I wanted to hear," Sesshoumaru purred with satisfaction as he stopped tickling his tired pup, the girl panting as she leaned against him. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up bridal-style, the girl cuddling against him as he stood. He nuzzled the top of her head and gently kissed her there, showing his approval of her submission to him as he ducked into the curtained canopy of her bed and set her down as she should have been the first time. She pulled the covers and white sheets from beneath her and slid her legs into them obediently as he pulled them up to her lap. "Do you want me to read you a story tonight? It would have to be a short tale..."

"What about a scary story? Because it's Halloween," Rin suggested innocently, a light frown spreading over Sesshoumaru's face.

"We cannot do that anymore, remember?," He chided. "Your mother will have my head if you have nightmares again..."

"I won't have nightmares!," Rin immediately protested. "I'm older! That stuff isn't so scary now! _Please_, daddy?" She gave him her best pair of puppy dog eyes and he sighed. It was so hard to resist her when she did that...

"No, Rin," he replied firmly.

"But _daddy_!," she huffed, her small pink lips set in an adorably cute pout, her arms crossed over her lap.

"_No_," he persisted.

"Just _one_!," she tried stubbornly.

"No," he chided. This was progressively getting harder... For a moment, Rin was quiet and he'd thought she had given up...and then...

"_Please_, daddy?," she asked in her sweetest voice, his body stiffening rigidly. He knew _this _tone... Gold met azure and she gave her sweetest smile, her large doe eyes blinking at him. She _knew _he couldn't resist this... Slowly, her lower lip jutted out cutely...and then it trembled. He looked away with a shake of his head, unable to keep his eyes on her for long when she did that. Check and mate. He lost.

"Alright," Sesshoumaru reluctantly agreed with a heavy sigh. "Just one..." He looked back to the door, using his senses to pinpoint Kagome. She was still in the living room. Good. He looked back at his eager daughter, her face straightened into a look of delight. "Don't tell your mother."

"Yes, daddy," she replied cheerfully as she lay back on her fluffy pillow encased in a white covering. He pulled the covers up to her chest as she waited patiently for the story to begin.

"Alright," Sesshoumaru inclined his head, wondering which tale he should tell to be short, but also keep her from having too many nightmares. He sat on her bed beside her, thinking a long moment before he came up with something good, having heard the tale from an old horror story teller back about a few hundred years or so ago. It was never written or released publicly. "Have you heard of the things that go 'thump' in the night?"

"'Thump'?," she asked, her azure eyes widened a little. "Don't you mean 'bump'?"

"No, '_thump_'," he corrected, watching her head tilt slightly to the side.

"No...I haven't heard _that _one before," she admitted softly. He inclined his head once, knowing this would be a good one that she wouldn't soon forget.

"The things that go 'thump' in the night, it is, then," Sesshoumaru gave a hint of a smirky smile at his daughter, the girl anxiously and intently listening to him. He glanced back at the door, making sure Kagome was still in the living room, and she was. He looked back at Rin. "A few hundred years ago, there was war in the U.S. amongst the humans and soldiers from all over their country fought in it. The war was long and hard, many soldiers stopping to rest in other's homes for the night. The people of that time could not refuse the soldiers by law, and _had _to take them in."

"Is this...is this about their civil war? Or the one with Britain?," Rin asked curiously, her eyes alight with awe.

"I believe it was in their war with Britain to become an independent country," Sesshoumaru answered thoughtfully, gaining an energetic nod from his interested daughter. "In this time, there were many reports of soldiers being sighted going into homes of others...but there were a few who didn't return from their nightly visits." Rin's eyes widened a tad more as she fisted the covers in hand. "One of which counts is the center of our story. The man was seen entering the home of an elderly woman for the night, but the neighboring people never saw him leave. The elderly lady claimed that he had left before sunrise...but he was never found, never accounted for."

"Did she kill him?," Rin whispered softly.

"No one knows," Sesshoumaru gave hint of a teasing smile to his daughter. "After several years and the death of the elderly woman, some of her younger relatives decided to claim the house and land as their own. Her grandson and his wife, as well as his much younger sister. It didn't take long for them to move into the house...and it didn't take but a night to hear something awfully strange." Rin's breath hitched, to his amusement. "They settled in for the night but none of them could sleep. There was...a thumping sound keeping them awake." He inwardly chuckled at Rin's slight squirming beneath the covers. She was already getting slightly impatient and scared. Her scent alone could tell him _that _much... "Not a one of them got up to see what it was and left it for the morning. By sunrise, the sound had stopped and they had no lead as they conversed, coming up with logical explanations for the odd sound. By that following night, they were exhausted and all three went straight to bed. Before long, it could be heard again...thump thump...thump thump...thump thump. The youngest girl slipped out of bed, hoping to find whatever was making that dreadful noise. She exited her room and looked around. There was nothing. She listened a moment before turning the corner and heading towards the main living area, the thumps steadily growing louder with every step she made. Thump thump! Thump thump! Thump thump!" He nearly chuckled at Rin's terrified expression, her eyes watering with tears. Her scent, though filled with fear, was also filled with excitement and curiosity. She wanted him to go on.

"Did she find what caused that noise?," she asked softly.

"No," Sesshoumaru revealed. "She didn't even make it to the living area. It became a dull roar to her ears and she scrambled back to her room and hid beneath her bed. The next morning, they were even more exhausted, the young girl admitting what she had done the night before. Her elder brother scolded her for her rash and reckless actions. She could have been killed if it had turned out to be a crazed person from their village. She could only apologize to him and ask if he would check on it the next night. With talk and hesitation, he agreed to it. It was silent all through the day until after nightfall. That dreaded noise came back. Thump thump...thump thump...thump thump..."

"Oh no," Rin gasped.

"The brother, sister, and man's wife all met outside the couple's room," Sesshoumaru continued, as though uninterrupted. "They talked on it a long moment before his gun was retrieved and loaded properly. He asked his sister to show him the way, his wife staying in their room. Scared stiff, the young girl only nodded before leading him towards the living room. This time...the thumping noise was softer, barely heard. "I thought you said that it was louder here?," he asked her with a deep frown. "It was!," she replied, inwardly troubled. "It _was_..." With a few small words, they went back towards their rooms, intent on sleeping for the night, the thumping noise just as loud as it had been from the first night. However, when the man stepped into his room, he let his gun fall with a loud clatter, his sister jumping with the noise. She berated him, but he didn't respond...he was staring at something. Curious, she snuck behind him and peered into the room. Her stomach twisted when she did. His beloved wife was laying on the floor, blood pooled around her. Her hand was arched high, as though reaching for something. The younger sibling slowly got her brother to function again and go to her side. She was dead, just as he had feared, but there was a message just where her hand lay moments before. 'Beware the 'thump' in the night'."

"No...," Rin whimpered, her eyes spilling over with her previously unshed tears. She was quick to wipe them up.

"They got a doctor in that night and a mortician to find out her cause of death- they could see no wounds on her at all," Sesshoumaru spoke slowly, his every word drawn out to entice Rin into the story a little more.

"How did she die?," she asked curiously, confusedly.

"They said it was like all of her blood had been sucked out of her body," Sesshoumaru replied mysteriously. "They had nothing to go on, not even a wound to her neck to claim it was a vampire's doing." Rin gulped. "The thumping wasn't active while they were there. It didn't take them long before the mortician took her away and the brother and sister were left alone. Not wanting to sleep alone or in the room in which his bride had died, they slept together in the girls bed that night, both relieved that the thumping was gone and they could sleep. However, the following night it returned, a little louder than before. The girl was beyond scared, asking her brother what they should do. He didn't know. Deciding quickly, he retrieved his gun again with his sister, the girl nervous and anxious about the situation. He decided, since her bedroom was without windows, unlike his own, that she should lock herself in there. He didn't do this, of course, until he had checked the entire room first, making sure he didn't lock her in with this murderer. Seeing the room cleared, he had her bar the door and he left, gun in hand. Slowly, he crept towards the living room. Thump thump...thump thump... The sound was soft again. He searched and searched, but found no clue to this noise, not even from outside. Stumped, he returned to his sister's room, knocking three times, as they agreed so she'd know it was him. She didn't answer. He banged on the door. Not even footsteps could be heard. Worried for his sister, he knocked down the door...only to find her lying in a pool of her own blood. This time, there was a wound over her heart, like a slash. She had written 'run' in bold lettering in her blood. Devastated, he went to the doctor and mortician again."

"What's killing them?," She asked softly, her eyes sad.

"Patience," he replied easily, the girl only nodding. "They checked her as they listened to his story, a bit puzzled, as well. She had a slash over her heart and _into _it. The mortician solemnly informed him that his wife had been pregnant with his child and the child had been cut the same exact way, a matching mark on his wife's heart on the inside...and yet there had been no signs of outer penetration to her belly or inner penetration other than the damage to her heart and the baby's. This shouldn't have been possible. They suggested supernatural forces were at work and said that there was someone they could get ahold of to cleanse the house for him. He agreed to it, leaving with them that night. He didn't want to be alone there, after all." Rin nodded viciously to that. "The following evening, the man was accompanied back into the house by the old woman that claimed to be a medium, the two holding a séance in the living room. While they did so, after dusk, the woman was possessed. The thumping sound resumed and resounded from all around them. Thump thump! Thump thump! Thump thump!"

"Eep!," Rin squeaked as she pulled the covers up to her nose. He chuckled softly at her behavior.

"Would you like me to stop?," he asked gently.

"N-No! I've got to know what's making that awful noise!," Rin protested. He could only smirk.

"Alright," Sesshoumaru inclined his head. "The woman's voice deepened in tone as she looked at him with darkened eyes. "Who are you?," he demanded, instinctively knowing that something was different now. "Who are _you_?," the voice asked mockingly, a snarl on the woman's face. "_That _is the _true _question." The man stated his name boldly, fearlessly. "Kin to that damned woman," she snorted in reply. "You will all suffer my wrath." "Why?!," the man exclaimed, slamming his hands on the table and standing up furiously. "What did _we _ever do to _you_?!" The woman smiled bitterly, her hand slowly pointing to a floor board. "It's there," was all she said and the man was upon the board, yanking it loose and up from the ground. He tore the next one, and the next, until he could see a small hole in the foundation. Something was there, but he couldn't see in the darkness. Retrieving a lantern, he went back to the hole and nearly lept backwards in fright and shock. A decaying corpse sat in the hole, huddled with his knees to his chest. His body was dressed in a bloodied war uniform, the uniform slashed here and again... It was louder now, THUMP THUMP! THUMP THUMP! THUMP THUMP! He looked down at the man's chest...and his heart was partially exposed, still beating." Rin gasped sharply, her eyes owlishly wide in fright. "He felt the woman step up behind him, the man frozen in shock and fear. "Your grandmother did this to me," she spoke, her voice soft and hateful. "She killed me and cursed me to exist on long after my death...and because of _this_...I'm going to curse _her _family." A smirk crossed her lips as she eyed the man before her with sadistic satisfaction. "You're all going to die with a wound to your heart- you're going to bleed out slowly as I watch you. But first...you will hear my curse before yours consumes you. The beating of my heart in the night!" The man only had time to turn around before he was struck by the woman, a blade in hand. She slashed a small hole in his chest, nicking his heart. Blood trickled from his lips and chest freely as he looked back at the woman in shock. "It's not...my fault," he managed to gasp out. "I don't care," she retorted, throwing the dagger aside. "I will hunt each and every one of your relatives down until I kill them all." With that, she pushed him into the hole and left, the spirit possessing her. Over the years, the spirit killed many much in the same way, possessing different people, including the ones he was after, to make it happen. Still, to this day, there have been reports of strange attacks on certain people in a distinct line that came from _that _family. The curse still lives on."

"Momma has American blood in her veins...and I do, too," Rin pointed out fearfully, tears clinging to her big blue eyes again. "We're not a part of _that _family, though...right daddy?"

"Right," Sesshoumaru replied softly, soothingly. "Besides that, it is just a story- I promise. It's _not _real. There will be no 'thump'ing in the night."

"Are you _sure_?," Rin asked softly, nervously.

"Positively," Sesshoumaru nodded, getting Rin to do the same.

"Can I leave my side table lamp on?," She asked anxiously.

"Yes...of course," he replied just as softly, bringing her into a gentle hug, giving her a kiss to her cheek and receiving one in return. "No more scary stories?"

"Never," she agreed, amusing him. She turned on her lamp and snuggled back in.

"Good night, Rin," he bid his goodnight as he gently rubbed her head.

"'Night, daddy," She replied with a yawn, but she instantly tried to widen her eyes and keep herself awake. The edges of a smirk curled at his lips as he pulled his hand away and started off, shutting off her main light and cracking her door a little so the light from the bathroom just across the hall filtered in.

"Now...that is _one _taken care of," he mumbled beneath his breath so Rin wouldn't hear as he started off back to the living room. "I must now go to my beloved fiery mate...and whatever punishment awaits me." Amusement glimmering in his golden eyes, he quickly found his way back to the living room and sat beside his mate, who was idly eating popcorn as she watched a creature flick.

"Took you long enough," Kagome smiled at him as she snuggled up to him. "Did you read her a story?" He couldn't help a small smirk that she couldn't see as she kept her eyes on the movie.

"Yes...I told her a story," he admitted, wrapping his arm around his mate.

"Thought so," she smiled a bit, her eyes gleaming as she watched the film.

"I thought I was to make my earlier mistake up to you," Sesshoumaru idly commented, getting a little more of her attention. She grinned and looked back at him.

"I'm into the movie right now," she replied with that glint to her eyes again. "Maybe later." That meant _'I'm going to surprise you when you least expect it'_. He would have to keep his guard up...

"Alright," he agreed compliantly, stealing another kiss from her and licking his lips. "You taste like butter and salt." She laughed softly and leaned in closer.

"Do you _like _that taste?," she asked curiously.

"More so on _you_," he replied with a short nod, getting a smile from her.

"Well...when you put it _that _way...," Kagome giggled, pressing her lips back to his. He growled softly in his chest, immediately lapping at her lips. Just as soon, his tongue was let into her moist cavern, exploring and tasting the delicious tastes of his mate and the buttery and salty popcorn together. He let himself go for a moment, his tongue twining with hers in a brief battle before he backed away so she could breathe, her breaths coming out in soft pants. A somewhat loud noise startled them both, both looking back at the T.V. screen. "My show's back on!" She smiled and leaned back against him, the man sighing. Maybe later, then...

_ 0,0 _

Thump...thump...thump...thump...

Rin turned to the side, an odd noise disturbing her slumber.

Thump...thump...thump...thump...

Rin turned to the other side, her eyes shut tightly.

Thump...thump...thump...thump...

"Mmmnnnhhh!," Rin sat up, rubbing her eyes as she slowly opened them, looking over at her clock. Eleven forty four. What in the _world _could be making that noise so late at night? She listened intently, hearing it continuously going.

Thump...thump...thump...thump...

"Wait...'thump'ing?," she asked, her azure eyes widening as fear struck her to the very core. It was the thumping noise from the story! She listened a moment more, confirming it. "Oh...Kami...we're not...we're not _related _are we? Was it a real story after all? Oh my Kami..." It kept on. "But mommy and daddy were supposed to be asleep now..." She hesitated a moment. "But I've _got _to know...where it's coming from." With a nod, she slid out of bed. Pausing for only a moment more, she grabbed an old metal softball bat from beneath her bed and held it so tightly her knuckles were white. "_Now _I'm ready." Rin took a shaky breath and held it as she made it to her door, slowly opening it, the creaking of her door putting her on edge. She waited a second, determining it was coming from the hall that lead to the living room. Slowly, ever so slowly, she crept down the hallway, keeping her bat close at all times. She would stop every so often to mentally check the sound and the direction it was coming from.

Thump...thump...thump...thump

It was getting steadily louder... Taking another shaky breath, she edged down the hallways and corridors until she was at the kitchen.

THUMP...THUMP...THUMP...THUMP...

The noise was so loud it almost made her jump every time it happened. She had to hold her breath a moment to keep herself composed, letting it go when she couldn't hold it anymore and in taking another big breath before holding it again. Slowly, she made it to the threshold to the living room, tears filling her big blue eyes.

_**THUMP**_..._**THUMP**_..._**THUMP**_..._**THUMP**_...

It was loud..._too _loud. Too _close_... It was coming from the living room. Her daddy's story came back full force and she bit back a whimper before she managed to calm herself again. Gripping the bat with so much force that the metal actually bent beneath her fingertips, she nudged herself closer to the door until she was finally just beside it.

_**THUMP**_..._**THUMP**_..._**THUMP**_..._**THUMP**_...

The thumping was almost enough to make her skin crawl, the girl on edge.

"Here we go," she whispered to herself, wiping her tears away before letting her breath out, breathing in and out a minute, and inhaling deeply and holding it again. "_Here we go_." Bat held in an iron grip, Rin jumped forwards and turned to face her fear...

_**THUMP**_..._**THUMP**_..._**THUMP**_..._**THUMP**_...

She blinked, almost not believing what she was seeing as she sagged against the door frame with a loose, shaky released breath.

"There?," Kagome asked softly.

"A little lower...," Sesshoumaru grunted, his head tilted towards his seated mate. She was scratching behind his ears...and it felt absolutely _divine_...

"Here?," Kagome asked with a little amused smile.

"Yes...there," he groaned, his eyes rolling back and his tail thumping the ground a little harder. His tail was wagging and thumping against the floor in his happiness.

"Ohhhhh," Rin sighed, deflated, as she slid to the ground, bat in hand.

"Hmm?," Kagome looked over at Rin and blinked. "What's wrong, Rin? Why are you up? And why do you have a bat?"

"W-W-Well...I...umm...," Rin stumbled a moment, seeing her dad crack an eye open and look at her with a slightly raised brow as Kagome kept scratching behind his ears. "I heard a weird thumping sound...and it scared me...I thought someone broke in or something..." She saw her dad shoot her an apologetic look while Kagome's back was turned.

"Aww...I'm sorry, Rin," Kagome apologized softly, slowly letting the weary Sesshoumaru's ears go and leaning away from the man. "You know how your daddy gets when I scratch behind his ears...that's all _that _was." Rin managed a hum and a nod.

"My friend...this friend of mine...also told me a scary story earlier about a beating heart going 'thump' in the night," she admitted softly, Kagome frowning at her.

"I thought I told you _no _scary stories! You _know _you get scared of them easily," Kagome scolded lightly.

"Sorry momma," Rin hung her head. Kagome sighed, feeling bad for the girl as she got up and went to Rin.

"It's alright," she replied softly, bringing the girl into her arms and holding her tightly. "Nothing and no one's going to get you, now or ever, okay? Your daddy and I'd have them six feet under before they even _tried _anything."

"Okay," Rin nodded, holding Kagome tightly. It was silent a moment as Kagome rubbed soothing circles over Rin's back. "Can you tuck me back in, momma?"

"Of course," Kagome cooed, standing with her. "I'll be right back." She looked back at Sesshoumaru, who nodded to her. She swiftly took Rin back to her room and got her settled and tucked back in. "Good night, Rin."

"'Night, momma," Rin spoke tiredly with a yawn. Kagome gently kissed her forehead before going to the door and shutting it all but a crack, like Sesshoumaru had.

_'Well_...,' Rin sighed to herself silently. '_If I ever hear thumping in the night again, I know it won't be a disembodied heart...it'll be daddy's tail wagging while mommy scratches behind his ears_...' With a soft giggle to herself at her discovery, Rin rolled over, shut her eyes, and slowly fell back into dreamland.

**-The End-**

That's the end! Hope you guys enjoyed that- it was fun to write!

Yes, I know the basic storyline up top has nothing to do with the actual story, I just wanted to put it in there to give a little background to Kagome and Sesshoumaru's relationship and relation to the actual Inuyasha series.

My little brother also read this, having seen some of Inuyasha, and he asked, 'What was Sesshoumaru's punishment? It was never _actually _written into the story.' I grinned and told him to use his imagination. XD

By the way...this is my first-ever posted one-shot. (The first one that hasn't accidentally turned into a series because I put too much in it and couldn't edit it down.) So...please be gentle if you review. Please review!

(I'll check when I can and put responses to reviews below.)

**Review Responses**:

**- Mike-StoneLogged **- Wow...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare anybody _that _badly. I'd give you a hug, but I can't reach you through the screen.


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